Flower Power

My time spent working at Bella Fine Flowers in college gave me the greatest appreciation for florals. What started as a mere interest, developed into a full blown love affair!

I think there is nothing more beautiful then a fresh arrangement created with only the brightest and best florals from the SF Flower Mart. With that being said, I have discovered a designer that offers a Green option to traditional real flowers without compromising the beauty.

Maria Bristol, of St. Jude's Floral Creations, is the designer behind these stunning handmade flowers that had me (the trained florist) asking... Real or Fake?

Here is what Maria has to say about her work: "Making artificial flowers has been a passion for me for many years. It started with my mother and her sister who used to run a floral business many years ago. They learnt the method of making beautiful flowers from fabric, paper and other materials and from then on this trade was picked up by us from a very young age. It started as a hobby and on finding that people loved the flowers, I turned it into a website where customers could pick and choose the colors and varieties.

There are many benefits of using paper flowers, one being they are different and unique. They can be ordered in your custom color, and of course they last longer than fresh ones, so they can be preserved to keep the memory of your wedding day alive forever. They can be put together well ahead of the function and so there is no worry of it wilting at the time of the wedding, or worrying if it will open it's closed blooms for the wedding. It's ideal for destination weddings, as you can pack and take it with you." (Bristol, www.stjudescrations.com/paper-flowers.html).

Be sure to check out all of Maria's distinct designs:

A New Take On Tables

When considering the priorities of an event budget, there are many things to take into consideration. Specifically in my world of tablescapes, I always recommend the client to invest extra money in the small details if it is a "seated" affair (ie. wedding reception, black tie plated dinner etc.).

An item that can quickly eat up your tablescape budget are those beautiful speciality linens. I am not discrediting the aesthetic appeal to a rich linen; however, if money is on your mind, then there is always a solution.

Here are some unconditional takes on table coverings:

A simple white poly cotton linen shown here with green ribbons weaved through one another to created a clean overlay.

Depending upon the texture of the table that you are working with, you may be able to get away with not covering the entire table. In which case, utilizing runners can add a pop of color.

Another option for partial table coverage are placemats. There are so many wonderful prints, textures, colors, sizes, and shapes of placemats these days that you are guaranteed to find something that fits your theme.

Labor Of Love

It's April- which means it is Mariah Kelly's birthday month. She came up with a wonderful idea for her 15th birthday party herself, but called upon me for a little help creating the invitations.

Our first stop was the Scrapbook Depot in San Carlos where we found darling cupcake and poke-a-dot paper to start the inspiration process. Mariah quickly made the decision that the scavenger hunt portion of her party should be divided into pre-determined teams. This meant that we needed to indicate to each girl their team color before the day of the party. Mariah came across ribbon that corresponded with the theme colors. She asked me if I could come up with a bow that each girl could wear to identify the team that they were assigned.

Next stop J & M Hobby House also in San Carlos where we picked up all the last-minute supplies: Mod Podge, safety pins, pearls, and paint brushes.

And off to the design studio we went...

Step One: create the bows

mission completed

Step Two: create the corresponding "team cards"

and be sure that the new puppy doesn't steal them...

Step Three: create the party invitations

hours later, we were finally finished

Apparently creating birthday invitations is a bit more tiring for some then others...

I can't even imagine what Mariah has in store for me for her Sweet Sixteen!